§ 416.1338. If you are participating in an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services.

(a) When may your benefits based on disability or blindness be continued? Your benefits based on disability or blindness may be continued after your impairment is no longer disabling, you are no longer blind as determined under § 416.986(a)(1), (a)(2) or (b), or your disability has ended as determined under § 416.987(b) and (e)(1) in an age-18 redetermination, if—

(1) You are participating in an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services, as described in paragraphs (c) and (d) of this section;

(2) You began participating in the program before the date your disability or blindness ended; and

(3) We have determined under paragraph (e) of this section that your completion of the program, or your continuation in the program for a specified period of time, will increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability or blindness benefit rolls.

(b) When will we stop your benefits? We generally will stop your benefits with the earliest of these months—

(1) The month in which you complete the program; or

(2) The month in which you stop participating in the program for any reason (see paragraph (d) of this section for what we mean by “participating” in the program); or

(3) The month in which we determine under paragraph (e) of this section that your continuing participation in the program will no longer increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability or blindness benefit rolls.

Exception to paragraph (b): In no case will we stop your benefits with a month earlier than the second month after the month your disability or blindness ends, provided that you are otherwise eligible for benefits through such month.

(c) What is an appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services? An appropriate program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services means—

(1) A program that is carried out under an individual work plan with an employment network under the Ticket to Work and Self-Sufficiency Program under part 411 of this chapter;

(2) A program that is carried out under an individualized plan for employment with—

(i) A State vocational rehabilitation agency (i.e., a State agency administering or supervising the administration of a State plan approved under title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 720-751)) under 34 CFR part 361; or

(ii) An organization administering a Vocational Rehabilitation Services Project for American Indians with Disabilities authorized under section 121 of part C of title I of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended (29 U.S.C. 741);

(3) A program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services that is carried out under a similar, individualized written employment plan with—

(i) An agency of the Federal government (for example, the Department of Veterans Affairs);

(ii) A one-stop delivery system or specialized one-stop center described in section 134(c) of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (29 U.S.C. 2864(c)); or

(iii) Another provider of services approved by us; providers we may approve include, but are not limited to—

(A) A public or private organizations with expertise in the delivery or coordination of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services; or

(B) A public, private or parochial school that provides or coordinates a program of vocational rehabilitation services, employment services, or other support services carried out under an individualized program or plan;

(4) An individualized education program developed under policies and procedures approved by the Secretary of Education for assistance to States for the education of individuals with disabilities under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, as amended (20 U.S.C. 1400 et seq.); you must be age 18 through age 21 for this provision to apply.

(d) When are you participating in the program? (1) You are participating in a program described in paragraph (c)(1), (c)(2) or (c)(3) of this section when you are taking part in the activities and services outlined in your individual work plan, your individualized plan for employment, or your similar individualized written employment plan, as appropriate.

(2) If you are a student age 18 through 21 receiving services under an individualized education program described in paragraph (c)(4) of this section, you are participating in your program when you are taking part in the activities and services outlined in your program or plan.

(3) You are participating in your program under paragraph (d)(1) or (2) of this section during temporary interruptions in your program. For an interruption to be considered temporary, you must resume taking part in the activities and services outlined in your plan or program, as appropriate, no more than three months after the month the interruption occurred.

(e) How will we determine whether or not your completion of the program, or your continuation in the program for a specified period of time, will increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability or blindness benefit rolls? (1) We will determine that your completion of the program, or your continuation in the program for a specified period of time, will increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability or blindness benefit rolls if your completion of or your continuation in the program will provide you with—

(i) Work experience (see § 416.965) so that you would more likely be able to do past relevant work (see § 416.960(b)), despite a possible future reduction in your residual functional capacity (see § 416.945); or

(ii) Education (see § 416.964) and/or skilled or semi-skilled work experience (see § 416.968) so that you would more likely be able to adjust to other work that exists in the national economy (see § 416.960(c)), despite a possible future reduction in your residual functional capacity (see § 416.945).

(2) If you are a student age 18 through age 21 participating in an individualized education program described in paragraph (c)(4) of this section, we will find that your completion of or continuation in the program will increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability or blindness benefit rolls.

(3) If you are receiving transition services after having completed an individualized education program as described in paragraph (e)(2) of this section, we will determine that the transition services will increase the likelihood that you will not have to return to the disability benefit rolls if they meet the requirements in paragraph (e)(1) of this section.

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